Project aim and objectives
The main aim of the project is to monitor, explore and analyse in what ways the print media covers the pre-election campaign for the local government in Albania. The print media monitoring of the local government election will look at: the space allocated to the subjects, length and positioning of the article and headlines, the tone of the coverage, the balance and accuracy, the type of coverage (fact-based or opinion-based), latent meanings of the article etc.
The print media monitoring of the local government election seeks to explore to what extent the print media contributes to the enhancement of the democratic election processes in terms of: (i) the provision of quality information and content; (ii) stimulation of public discussion; and (iii) stimulation of citizens’ participation in and engagements with local government affairs. Thus it also contributes to the wider discussion on the ways in which the press is impacting democratic processes in Albania.
Methodology :This research project adopts a combined approach of quantitative and qualitative methods. The primary method will be content analysis (CA) of the Albanian press coverage of the pre- election campaign for a period of four months (01/03/2015-20/06/2015). The content analysis will explore variables such as space, length and position allocated to the subjects by the print media as well as to the tone of the coverage (positive, negative or neutral). Given the cardinal importance of media discourse and construction of meanings, the content analysis, i.e. quantitative dimension of the research, will be complemented by discourse analysis (DA), which will explore the latent meanings of the articles, the balance and accuracy, the type of coverage (fact-based or opinion-based) and how the coverage may impact the election as such.
Print Media Monitoring of the Local Government Elections of 2015 REPORT